The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY JULY 17, 2018

 Our summary todayhighlights news of President George Manneh Weah’s new measures instituted to address the deteriorating state of the Liberian economy as dominant story.

DOMINANT STORY  

Gov’t To Infuse US$25M To Mop-up Excess Liquidity 

According to the Daily Observer, President George Manneh Weah has committed his government to instituting a few stop-gap measures aimed at addressing the deteriorating state of the Liberian economy. Prime among these few is the infusion of US$25 million into the economy to help mop up excess liquidity of the Liberian dollar on the market.While addressing the nation on the state of the economy Monday, President Weah informed the nation that his government, through its Economic Management Team, is endeavoring to put together a team of “Liberia’s brightest” economic experts, both at home and abroad as well as international partners, and in close consultation with the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) to work on series of monetary and fiscal measures that would help reverse the decline in the value of the Liberian dollar.“To lessen the immediate negative impact on our people, it will be an urgent imperative to devise and implement short-term fixes to the current problem — an immediate infusion by the CBL of US$25 million into the economy to mop up the excess liquidity of Liberian dollars,” he said.The President however admonished Liberians to be patient as finding lasting solutions to the present macroeconomic challenges will take some time, because nothing less than the structural transformation of the Liberian economy will produce sustainable recovery and growth.

Related Captions: To Stabilize Economy: Weah Unveils US$25 Million Stimulus(INSIGHT), Weah Trashes Blame Games-Announces New Measures(The New Dawn)

OTHER STORIES  

UNDP Trains Environmental Units In GOL Entities 

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in collaboration with the National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) project over the weekend concluded a two-day capacity building and coordination training in Gbarnga, Bong County, for Environmental Units in government entities. Dorsla Farcarthy, UNDP Team Leader of the Unit, said the NAPs came out of the National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA), for which Liberia was chosen to implement some quick wins to include the early warning project, now with the Ministry of Transport, the coastal defense project with the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy and an agriculture project. The training mainly focused on how to create awareness on environmental issues for people in the mainstream to speak out on the budgeting process and to understand the function of environmental issues and how they can apply the knowledge at their respective work places. According to Mr. Farcarthy, NAPs will monitor the various ministries and agencies, to ensure that they have each established environmental desks in their entities to mainstream some of the essential environmental issues. The Act establishing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia provides for a monitoring, coordinating and supervisory authority for the sustainable management of the environment in partnership with regulated ministries, reads the Daily Observer.

EPA Imposes US$100K Fine On Bea Mountain Management

The Government of Liberia (GoL), through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has taken stringent measures against Bea Mountain Mining Corporation, operator of the New Liberty Gold Mines in Kinjor, Grand Cape Mount County, for blatantly violating the nation’s environmental laws. The Daily Observer says EPA’s authorities have served Bea Mountain a fine to the tune of US$99,999.99 to be paid into government coffers through the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA). The company has been mandated to pay said amount in 72 hours beginning today, with an official receipt presented to the EPA upon receipt of notice of this fine. EPA Deputy Executive Director, Randall M. Doboyou, II, told a press conference in Monrovia that on July 10, 2018, a team of EPA technicians made an impromptu visit to Kinjor, and found the company in flagrant violation of our laws. The EPA has also mandated Bea Mountain Mining Corporation to commission a Resettlement Action Plan by an Independent Environmental Evaluator to determine compensation for the affected communities.

VOSIEDA Conducts One Month Intensive Training In Community Forrest Monitoring

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the capacity of Non-State Actors (NSAs) in forest governance, the Volunteers to Support International Efforts in Developing Africa (VOSIEDA) through the Civil Society Independent Forest Monitors (CS-IFM) will on next week commence a one-month rigorous training in forest monitoring for community members.The training, which is funded by the European Union, is expected to enhance the skills and knowledge of members of Community Forest Management Body (CFMB), Community Forest Development Committee (CFDC), and Civil Society Organizations (CSO – Women and Youth Groups) in forested counties of Lofa, Gbarpolu and Sinoe counties.The purpose of the training is to ensure illegal activities in the forest are documented and mitigated, and capacity of community forest structures and other NSAs are enhanced in forest monitoring, as well as increases community participation in forest governance.The training is expected to empower Community Forest Monitors (CFMs) on how to assess and use factual and reliable information from the forests.

UN Women To Support Gov't Toward Gender-Responsiveness

According to the Daily Observer, the Deputy Representative of UN Women in Liberia, Madam SangeetaRanaThapa, has committed her institution’s support to the government in efforts to promote a culture of respect for the rule of Law. Mrs. Thapa said the organization is ready to provide a comprehensive package of support to the government for giving a voice to women from different backgrounds and in different situations. The daily says Madam Thapa spoke in Monrovia recently at the opening of a one-week gender responsive training for prison guards in the 15 counties. She added that the training will also ensure that women in prison are treated with the care they deserve, which is one of the key tenets upon which the rule of law rests, ensuring the justice system is transparent and non-discriminatory. The program was organized by the UN Women offices in Monrovia.

LIMPAC Boosts Students’ Enrollment At UL

In continuous effort to supporting human capacity development here, the Liberia Macroeconomic Policy Analysis Center or LIMPAC at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning contributes more than 2 Million Liberian dollars to financial aid schemes of the University of Liberia Student Union or ULSU and other campus-based organizations at the state-owned University for the ensuing 2018/2019 academic period. According to a press release, the contribution was made recently in checks payable to the University of Liberia in favor of scholarship and financial aid listings of ULSU and two other campus-based organizations.LIMPAC Executive Director Del-Francis Wreh, thanks the Minister of Finance and Development Planning Samuel D. Tweah, who chairs the board of the organization, for approving increment in the support to ULSU from 500,000 Liberian dollars in the past semester to 1,350,000 Liberian dollars, which he notes, demonstrates his true desire toward the pro-poor agenda of the Government of Liberia.Mr. Wreh emphasizes that the support is intended to benefit several hundred economically challenged students in demonstration of government’s relentless commitment to supporting their educational pursuit, asserts the New Dawn newspaper.

Prelate Urges Youth To Engender Self-Confidence

The New Dawnnewspaper reads that the Bishop of the Tabernacle of Praise Church International based in North Carolina, the United States of America urges young people in Liberia to engender a spirit of self-confidence and self-esteem if they should achieve their goals. Addressing the 2nd National Youth and Young Adult Summit of the Tabernacle of Praise Association of Churches and the Kingdom Covenant Ministries International at the Christ Missionary Assembly in the Monrovia suburb of Duala, Bushrod Island, Bishop Alfred Jackson encourages young people not to settle for second best regardless of their current situation.He admonishes young Liberians to strive for excellence even in difficult situations and times in order to achieve their desire goals, noting “Everyone in his or her lifetime faces challenges and difficulties.”